Ron Widby, the 1967 SEC Basketball Player of the Year and player of the Dallas Cowboys’ first Super Cowl championship, has died. He was 75 years old.
Widby, who lived in Allen, Texas, died Tuesday. In recent years he has been in poor health.
Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Widby played six seasons in the NFL, beginning his career with the Cowboys after being originally drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 1967. He played 81 games in the NFL, and his 84-yard deck in 1968 remains a record. Dallas for the longest point.
Widby had an average of 42 yards per point for his career and finished his NFL career with two seasons in Green Bay. In his first season with the Packers, Widby completed the only two passes of his career, including one for a touchdown.
He was selected in three professional drafts in two sports. In addition to being drafted by New Orleans in 1967, Widby was drafted by the New Orleans Buccaneers in the 1967 ABA draft and by the Chicago Bulls in the NBA draft that same year.
Widby played a season with the Bucs in the ABA before returning to football.
At the University of Tennessee, Widby became the only athlete to win college degrees in four sports. He played three seasons in the football team, three in the basketball team, one in the baseball team and one year playing golf.
He led the NCAA with an average of 43.8 yards in 1966. In basketball, Widby was the player of the year since 1967 after leading Tennessee to the SEC championship that season.